Post op eating and sleeping

Hi,

I can empathise with what you are going through. My oesophagectomy was in Feb ‘24. The eating will get easier. During surgery, I was fitted with a JEJ feeding tube which provided me with all my nutritional needs for the first couple of months after surgery while I was trying to get on top of my eating again. As I result, I only lost about 1 stone. You need to remember that the surgery you have had is, as my surgeon explained to me, one of the toughest surgeries that the human body can endure. The recovery process is long and slow. Two and a half years after mine and I still get pain in my back and my stamina has not returned to what it was before treatment. I am coming to terms with the probability that it never will. But hey, I’m alive, life is still good and I am very thankful to have been given this second chance. 

My husband had his op around the same time as you. He has been fortunate where food is concerned and is now eating pretty normally, even starting to put a little weight back on. Regarding food getting 'stuck', I have read that sometimes the place where they make the join can narrow and cause this problem, which can be treated, but they should be able to advise you about that at your clinic appointment. Perhaps another scan would be in order? (Of course I am only speculating, it might be something else entirely.)

Liquid supplements could help you maintain your weight. Hubby didn't get on with the little bottles/cartons of energy drinks but can tolerate milk shakes like Aymes or Complan, which come in several flavours.

Sleeping is another matter! He used to sleep on his side or front, with a very thin pillow. Now he tries to sleep on his back, using a wedge pillow with a couple of pillows on top but he finds this uncomfortable (like you, he gets shoulder pain). Consequently he sleeps very poorly now. He has trouble breathing if he tries to sleep in a flatter position. He coughs and splutters and snorts and fidgets endlessly, so I now have to sleep in another room.

If anyone knows the ideal sleeping solution I would love to hear it please.

I hope you get some help on Friday. Good luck!

Yes sleeping is a problem with this operation ! I also used to sleep on my stomach but now can only sleep on my back ! I have a adjustable bed which I vary the height on during the night, I start in one position and if during the night I feel I may have acid reflux I sit it up a bit more then in the morning I try to lie flat for a while to stretch my back ! 

My main problem is pain in my chest from wind and if I get that I have to walk about a bit until I shift it so I haven’t had a full nights sleep since the operation and guess I never will ! But thank goodness I have no problem eating so I’m grateful for small mercies xx

Yes, we're very thankful that eating isn't a problem for him. The other day we bumped into an old acquaintance of his who was a shadow of his former self. He'd had the same op a few months before my husband had his, but he had complications when the join leaked and had to have further surgery, stomach removed. He currently can't eat and is fed through a tube in his abdomen. It made us realise how lucky my husband has been.

In the great scheme of things disrupted sleep and having to sleep in separate rooms is a small price to pay, when you put it in perspective.

Hi. I was just wondering if you got any useful information or advice at your clinic appointment?

Your eating situation doesn't seem quite right to me. I had the operation in Feb and by the time i was leaving hospital, 9 days later, I was able to eat a reasonable amount of food. No issues with food feeling like it was stuck or regurgitating.  Dumping has been a problem but its getting much less frequent now. I would speak with your specialist about the swallowing thing as I can't believe thats normal.

Sleep wise, your issues sound pretty much the same as mine and I am still struggling 6 months on. I've always slept on my front / side and simply cant get used to sleeping upright. I have a combination of a bed wedge and several pillows and no matter what combination of anything I use, I can't get properly comfortable.

I always fall asleep eventually but feel like I haven't had a decent night's kip since before my operation. My surgeon did say that sleep would be the hardest thing to adapt to and she wasn't wrong.

Hope you eating problem gets sorted.

Russ

Hi All

Many thanks for your advice, comments and support.

Had my clinic appointment, surgeon said quite normal for regurgitation and usually due to constriction of the join which is why they prefer a side to side join over an end to end to reduce this issue or could be the sphincter is not working properly due to the surgery, either way he was pretty confident they could help by stretching the join of injecting botox? into the sphincter

Had a barium swallow test and the flow didn't appear smooth and issue seemed to be the sphincter so waiting on consultants decision once he's got the report from radiologist

Continued shoulder pain is a different matter, surgeon suggested I speak to GP as not a surgical issue and physiotherapy may help, possible tendinitis due to stress of surgery. I've got GP end of this month so if I get any further forward on this issue I'll let you know

Many thanks for your replies, take care everyone